Create Anioma State to address South East marginalization – Leroy Edozien

Following the controversy associated with the proposed bill seeking the creation of Anioma State, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, in Delta State, Prof. Leroy Edozien, has advised President Bola Tinubu to write his name in gold by creating an additional state to address the marginalization in the South-East zone.

The senator representing Delta North senatorial district in the National Assembly, Senator Ned Nwoko, had proposed a bill seeking the creation of Anioma State to enable the South-East geopolitical zone to have six states.

The development is currently generating accusations and counter-accusations among political actors in the state.

But, Prof. Edozien, an Asaba chief said on Tuesday that the South-East zone had been complaining of marginalization since the end of civil war.

He said, “The Federal Government will not just wake up one day and say they want to create states, there must be a reason. To create additional states beyond what we have now is not easy, because many zones are agitating for new states.’’

“But, presently, the South-East zone has five states, while all other zones have six states. If you are the President or the Senate President or key elements in the creation of the state, if you are to create just one state, will you put it in a zone where they already have seven, or six and leave the zone that has five?

“If they said today, they are going to create an additional state; there is no doubt that the state is going to be in the South-East.

“The South-East has been complaining of marginalization. Why do we have security issues in the South-East, it’s because of the alleged marginalization and the people have been talking about it since the civil war.

“The Federal Government must show some commitment towards addressing the issue of marginalization. We cannot continue to sweep it under the carpet.

“We cannot pretend that it’s not there, we cannot pretend militarization in the South-East is the answer to security issues. So, we are talking about the creation of the state, the Federal Government should think about completing the South-East zone to six states before thinking about others, otherwise, we are preparing the country for self-destruction.

“If you look at it from that point of view, I feel, we want Anioma State, we should be prepared for it to be accommodated within the South-East zone.

“Let’s face the more controversial aspect of it, and that is the state to be in the South-East zone? If you want something, you must be savvy about it politically.

“For those who have strong feelings against it, are we having a regional government? No, it is not a South-East government, is a zone and not even constitutional, but just for political convenience arrangement to help to bring people together to collaborate.”

Prof Edozien said the whole purpose of state creation is to bring government closer to the people, saying that there is benefit in the creation of Anioma state.

He added, “I’m in total support of the creation of Anioma State. We have to be pragmatic about it, you can’t say because we don’t want to be in the South-East, therefore, we can’t have Anioma State.

“Let us have the state, if it means we will be in the South-East, so be it, we have linguistic and cultural affiliation with them. There is no ethnic group in Nigeria that does not have the good and the bad side, but we must learn to live together and believe in the concept of unity in diversity.”

Edozien urged President Tinubu to use this opportunity to write his name in gold by doing something concrete about the South-East zone since the end of the civil war.

He added, “In my congratulatory message to President Tinubu when he was elected, I said I hope his government will be one that will listen to the people, feel the pulse of the people, talk with the electorate, engage with all stakeholders, manifests empathy and builds a glorious future.

“Mr President has to listen and allay the fear and anxiety of the people. Take aside the economic situation that everybody is complaining about, there is nothing else that speaks louder in politics today than the issue of the South-East situation.

“That was why I said earlier that sending military men to address security issues in the South-East is not the answer. Detaining Nnamdi Kanu indefinitely is not the answer.

“Mr President must do something concrete to make them feel that the President has done something remarkable for us. Then, the people can say Mr President has listened to them and feel their pain.